EVZ Women: They launch the league on a short, small scale and keep it going

What the hell is going on here? An ice hockey fan might have this thought when looking at the schedule of the second highest Swiss women’s league. The EVZ women’s team, a newcomer to the league, is in first place with seven wins in the same number of matches. Goal difference 112:0. How is this possible and does it still make sense to play this way? Asked 20 minutes.

To clarify: the EVZ women’s team was newly founded, and as such the team should start in the lowest league, which is the SWHL D. But the club wants to achieve great things and is full of national players – so a compromise was reached with the association: the women of Zug go up to the second highest League, a Swiss women’s hockey league B. This explains the dominance. What does EVZ top scorer Lara Stalder say about the private mode?

“Our motto is full throttle.”

The Swiss international, who has played 52 times, is the team’s captain and is clearly the top scorer with 24 goals and 25 assists. In an interview with 20 Minutes, the 29-year-old from Lucerne explains what it means to down opponents in 21:0, 17:0 or 14:0: “Our motto is full pressure – every time we play. We don’t care who’s on the side.” “The other thing is, we want to achieve what we want. Our internal competition is huge, which motivates us even more. Every player is ambitious and wants to show what she can do.”

Stalder says EVZ has no mercy, but they don’t want to scare the other person either. “I hope that our opponents will be happy when they step into this stadium with this great display. It is a great honor to play here at Bossard Arena.”

Christian Banwart, general manager of HC Thurgau Ladies, sees it similarly. The Thurgau women lost 0:21 at home in their first meeting – the biggest win for the Zug women so far this season. “For the match in Zug at the Bussard Arena, we are making it a special event so the team can see it as something positive,” Banwart said when asked on 20 Minutes.

In principle, he sees EV Zug’s commitment to women’s ice hockey as a positive. However, he also believes that it does not satisfy both sides: “It is not a challenge for Zug because they have a very good team for this league. And of course it is frustrating for your opponents when you lose 20-0, no one likes that.” But this is not a problem for the ladies of Thurgau, they know how to classify it correctly. “They are all international greats in women’s ice hockey. It’s great to be able to play against Lara Stalder for once, it’s a unique experience. But obviously there are voices saying: ‘We don’t want to play like that.’

Keep a clean window

EVZ’s superiority is so great that it is no longer a challenge. “We have other challenges: we want to do everything the way we planned. We want to try new things and grow together as a team. The mental aspect in games like this is very important. Surely we can still grow there,” says Stalder.

There is one big goal this season for the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in Sochi and the newly assembled squad: “Rumors have probably spread that we don’t want to concede a goal in the league. It’s an achievable goal. We also want to play solid defense and never give up the puck.” “This is our DNA. I believe we are also capable of achieving this goal.”

Dreams become reality

Stalder has already played in college in the USA and Sweden, but this season she moved to Zug. Why? “The comprehensive package convinced me. I would never have dreamed of being part of such a big project in my home country. When I grew up here I only played with the boys. Now I can build something for future generations and be a part of it, it’s a dream come true.”

The Lucerne resident not only plays hockey for EVZ, but also works 60 percent of the time as Assistant to the CEO. She is involved in different projects, “It’s a new and great challenge. It’s very cool when you can work in the morning and in the afternoon I’m a hockey player.” No matter how well you do on the road, it will likely make everyday life a lot easier.

View comments